Coastal City Tackles Drought With Smart Water App

California is no stranger to droughts and one local community is now testing a smart water app to curb water waste. Solana Beach, Calif., in the San Diego region, is tackling the problem with water-usage data.

The San Diego Foundation awarded an $80,000 grant to Cleantech San Diego to support water technology deployments at the City of Solana Beach.

“As our region faces growing pressures from drought and climate change, it is more important than ever for San Diego to explore new ways to manage our water wisely and sustainably,” said Nicola Hedge, director of environment initiatives at The San Diego Foundation.

The grant will support public-private partnerships that encourage the adoption of smart city technologies and help achieve water and energy savings in the San Diego region.

“This public-private partnership will support development of Solana Beach’s climate action plan by way of demonstrating measurable water conservation savings and quantitative validation of water conservation programs’ effectiveness,” said Dan King, assistant city manager, City of Solana Beach.

Solana Beach will use the funding to test HydroSmart Technologies’ Smart Monitoring System Platform and related smart apps.

According to a press release, by using its advanced neural network technology, the HydroSmart system’s software can prevent leaks and also quickly identify leakage events such as pipe breaks, feeder hose bursts, and slow building pinhole leaks. When a leak is detected, the app will notify homeowners. Homeowners can then take immediate action, potentially saving the ratepayer from a large bill or flood damage.

“You could shut down your water through the phone if there’s a big spike,” King told the San Diego Union Tribune.

The app can also be programmed to automatically shut off the water when the system detects a leak, or even predicts a leak. The app would then notify the homeowner or a plumber in the event of a leak.

Given the ongoing drought concerns in the San Diego region, the water data analytics also allow the city to provide homeowners with personalized water-savings suggestions based on water usage patterns.

“For so long water users have been consuming in water-data-darkness and defenseless against significant financial water losses and water damage. [HydroSmart Technologies’] Smart Monitoring Platform delivers a trifecta of security, conservation, and knowledge,” said Mario Larach, CEO of HydroSmart Technologies.

“We believe this innovative partnership will help our residents and businesses conserve water, save money, and assist the city in achieving climate action goals through real-time monitoring and tracking of water use,” King said.